Always
by Concetta
Summary: Megumi does some thinking while Sano comes in for a check-up . . .
1. Change

A/N: Lady Magdalia (aka Sayo) didn't exist in the manga, so I'm having her non-existent in this little world of fan-fiction.

#Always#

Sanosuke stepped over the clinic's threshold. "Oi, Fox! You here?" The fishbone in his mouth bobbed up and down with the movement of his lips. A gazed around at the clinic's main room. Nobody. But, he then heard the lady doctor's voice coming from a back room.

"Mr. Takahashi, I assure you that there's nothing really wrong with you." Her tone was soothing, yet still remained firm and professional.

"But-but . . ."

"If you insist, the only thing I can suggest for your 'ailment' is to pour a bucket of water over your head, but that is all." Sano soon heard the sound of footsteps approaching the sitting room. A crestfallen young man opened the door and stepped out. A drooping bouquet of wildflowers was in his right hand. Sano watched him as he despondently made his way out the door and into the street.

Megumi gave out a pitying sigh then turned to Sanosuke. "What do you want? Have you come to attempt a proposal as well?" she asked, sarcasm accenting her words.

Sano grinned lopsidedly. "Heh, in your dreams."

"More like in my nightmares." The Fox bit back.

Sano gritted his teeth but said nothing. Megumi gave a small triumphant grin. She stretched her arms slightly and flipped her hair.

"Ch', who'd want to marry you, anyway?"

"The entire male population of Tokyo it seems."

"Except for one."

"Who?"

"Kenshin."

"You don't speak for Ken-san!"

"I don't need to." A grin slid across Sanosuke's face as he watched her sputter.

"Why are you here?" she asked once again.

"Weekly check-up," he said, holding up his bandaged right hand, "remember?"

Megumi passed a hand over her eyes. "Of course . . ." She walked briskly down the hall and soon returned with a box labeled 'For Rooster-head.'

"Sit down, Rooster-head."

Sanosuke's eyebrow twitched at the annoying nickname, but instead of responding, his teeth only clutched tighter to the fishbone in his mouth. Megumi frowned.

"And get that stupid fishbone out of your mouth!" With one sweep of her hand she snatched it and threw it out the open window beside her. "You have the worst habits I have ever encountered!" Then the fox ears popped up on her head. "But, then, perhaps, that is one of the many reasons why you cannot get a girl, hohohohoho!"

"Eh! Shaddup! Just—just change the bandage already!" Sanosuke's cheeks were stained with a flustered blush. The fox-lady had just hit a particularly sensitive nerve.

Megumi smiled triumphantly as she unwrapped the bandage. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sano's free hand begin to clench. Had she gone too far? She looked up. Sanosuke was looking out the window trying to appear merely miffed, but Megumi had known him and been around him long enough to see that he was deeply disturbed about something, most likely what she had just said. When did he become so sensitive?

Megumi felt her heart soften as it had been unwittingly doing little by little around him. A sense of intense guilt welled up in the pit of her stomach. _I really should not have said that. _Megumi finished unraveling the bandage and pulled the salve she had made for him, out of the box. She used that moment to steal another glance at Sano and felt another stab in her heart. _Why do I feel so bad about this? _

Lonely.

He looked very lonely. _He most likely does not have a girl because his jacket wards off all self-respecting young women. Of course, his whole appearance does just that, too._

"Why do you insist on wearing that 'aku' jacket? You're not wicked," Megumi said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Who says I'm not?"

Megumi gave him a slightly exasperated look then lifted the hand she was rubbing salve on, near his face. He saw the jagged scar that sliced through his palm, received when he gripped the knife that day years ago to prevent Megumi from killing herself. (See ep.11)

Sanosuke didn't say anything, one reason was because of the shock he got when Megumi gave him a timid smile. It was the closest to a genuine grin Sano had ever seen her direct at him. His stomach tightened and his heart began to pound. Whoa, whoa, slow down, boy. _This is Megumi here. The Fox Lady! What are you getting so worked up for?_

Megumi had stilled her work and looked at Sanosuke's hand with a pensive expression on her face. A few moments went by.

"Uh . . . Fox?"

"Hm?"

"Are you going to finish the bandage today?"

The thoughtful look flew away from Megumi and was replaced with the usual judgmental frown she reserved just for Sanosuke.

"And just why are you so impatient? Do you need to be somewhere?"

"Not really, I just . . . was . . . I didn't want to keep you from your other patients."

"You need my attention just as much as they do," she said in her best professional voice. She then continued to gently rub the salve into Sano's hand.

Megumi's mind went back to all the times he had been there for her. Of course Sir Ken had been there but, not as often as Sanosuke . . . Now that she thought about it, every time she was in trouble, the Rooster-head was always the first one there. He had followed her when she went to Kan-ryu's. When she was about to stab herself; punched out the fake medicine man's cronies when they had her cornered; when the medicine man himself menaced her as she tried to help Kaede, and numerous times when she had to go out for late calls, Sanosuke was always standing by to escort her. Megumi remembered how enraged he had been when he found out that she had been the one who had made the opium that had killed his friend and how much it hurt when he spat out those accusations.

But, so sudden was the change.

"_What're planning to do? Going back to work for Kan-ryu Takeda?"_

"_Please don't worry. I don't plan on ever making any more of the opium that killed your best friend. I promise I won't."_

"_You know that Kan-ryu isn't exactly gonna be thrilled to hear that."_

"_I just promised you, didn't I? And I'll keep that promise, so don't get in my way, I'm in a hurry."_

"_Don't be in such a hurry to die! You've got Kenshin . . . _and_ Sanosuke, too at your side . . . there's no need to try and be a martyr."_

"_. . . You, too. . . ?"_

"Oi, Fox . . ."

"What?" Sano's brought her back to the present and she realized she had stopped rubbing the salve. "Oh! Sorry, I—"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Megumi quickly pulled out the roll of muslin strips and speedily wrapped up his hand. "There. Done."

"Uh, thanks. . ." Sanosuke rose from the stool then looked down at Megumi. "You sure your feelin' okay?"

"Yes, you thick-headed rooster! Now, go. Shoo!" She nudged him out the door.

"Okay! Okay! I'm going!" Sanosuke gave her one last doubtful glance and was gone.

Megumi sat down at her desk, took a deep breath, then gently laid her head on it. "Perhaps I do not feel so well, after all."

The night found Megumi walking as briskly as possible in the direction of the clinic. _I had stayed at that shop for far too long. I did not realize how dark it had become. _Dr. Gensai had given her the rest of the day off and she decided to spend it in one of the

shops which, just recently received a boatload of imported goods, mostly from the west.

Suddenly, for some reason, her mind went back to the arguement she had had with Sanosuke that morning.

"_Ch', who'd want to marry you, anyway?" _

"_The entire male population of Tokyo it seems."_

"_Except for one."_

"_Who?"_

"_Kenshin."_

It suddenly occurred to her . . . _He did not exclude---_

"What's a lovely lady like you doin' out late?" A slurred voice called from the shadows beside her. Megumi did not stop to inspect but only began to walk faster. Suddenly, a figure rushed out in front of her. Megumi gasped and stumbled back. She felt her shoulders hit something hard. She heard disgusting laughter next to her ear. "Right into my arms, eh? So eager . . ."

"Let me go!"

"But, we've only just met," said the shadowy figure who was in front of her. He advanced on her and took her chin. Megumi could smell the reek of alcohol on his breath. The man behind her touched his tongue to the back of her ear. Megumi screamed. The man in front of her clapped his hand over her mouth. His hand was callused and scarred, like one who had been in a lot of fights. She would know.

_Sanosuke . . ._

"Now if you'll just be quiet like a good little girl, we'll make this a quick one."

The man was about to reach for her obi when he was knocked off his feet by a rather large fist. Before the other man could react he was also on the ground.

"Oi, Fox, are you alright?"

"S-Sanosuke?"

"Who else?"

All of a sudden, it hit her. Megumi looked up at his muscular form smiling down at her and began to cry.

"Whoa! Why are you cryin'?"

The experienced ruffian took advantage Sano's distraction and rammed his head into Sanosuke's stomach, sending him flying into the street wall.

"Heh." Sano got up and brushed himself off. The cretin trembled as he watched Sano crack his knuckles. The former Sekihoutai pulled back his fist and rushed at the ruffian. "NOT ENOUGH!" The low-life went flying through the wall of some unfortunate man's house nearby. The bad guy's crony had stumbled/ran off some time ago.

Sanosuke grinned triumphantly and cricked his neck. "Psh, amateurs."

"Thank you, Rooster-head." Megumi said smiling, the traces of her tears were gone.

"No prob. Why were you crying back there, anyway?"

"I . . ." All of a sudden Sanosuke grunted and doubled over.

"Sanosuke!" Megumi rushed up to him and put one hand on his chest and an arm as far around his broad shoulders as she could get it. Sano was clutching his stomach.

"Bastard . . . must've hit me harder then I thought."

"Do you think you could make it to the clinic?"

Sano nodded his head and they proceeded to continue their way in that direction.

A/N: What'cha think? Send a review!


	2. Finally

#Finally#

"Just sit down right here." Megumi helped him to the usual stool. Sano's face was still slightly contorted with pain.

"It doesn't hurt so much anymore."

"I still need to look at it. Can you take your jacket off?"

Sano began to pull his arm out of his sleeve when he stopped with a short cry.

"I guess I'll have to do it," Megumi sighed. She looked at him and bit her lip. What was wrong with her? She had seen him with his shirt off many times. _But, something has changed . . . _

Megumi hesitated for a moment then gently began to slide the jacket off his shoulders and past his arms. She took a quick glance at his face. He was just staring straight ahead.

Megumi shook clear her thoughts and went back to the task at hand. She was going to have to unwrap the bandages around his stomach. She cleared her throat and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Uh . . . Megumi?"

"I have to unwrap these bandages to see the damage, imbecile."

"Geez, you don't have to get all snippy about it."

"Well, if I'm snippy, it's your fault!"

"How is it my fault?"

"You are such an idiot . . ." Megumi muttered.

"How am I an idiot?" Sano yelled back.

"You just are!" Megumi shouted as she fought the tears that were beginning to prick her eyes. She continued to unwrap the bandage. Each time she pulled the bandage around his back, her lips were inches away from his bare shoulder. Megumi fought against the thrill that coursed through her insides and pleaded with her mind to stay on task.

Finally the bandages were off and Megumi was staring at very muscular and very bruised stomach. (A/N: Sano's got an _eight_ pack. Ow!) Megumi gently probed the area with her fingers, wincing each time Sanosuke sharply sucked in his breath.

"Sorry."

"Naw, it's okay, I got it battling for a noble cause," he gave Megumi a lopsided grin that took her breath away.

"Well," she said after further inspection, "it looks like the damage isn't took serious. You just have few bruised ribs."

"I could've told you that," Sanosuke grunted, wincing again from her inspection.

Megumi glared at him.

"Well, I could've!"

Megumi still didn't answer but pulled out a new roll of bandages and her special salve. She dipped her white fingers into the jar and began to gingerly rub it on his stomach.

The gasp that Sanosuke gave then did not sound pain induced. Megumi continued to gently rub it on until suddenly Sano stopped her with his left hand. She felt him take a deep, shaky breath. She slowly looked up and saw that his eyes were closed.

"Megumi . . ." He said her name softly but, so much warmth behind it.

"D-Does it hurt?" She asked.

". . . No . . ." Sano removed his hand and let it drop to his side. Megumi then noticed that her heart had been racing. She took a breath, finished the job then began to re-bandage his torso. Once again her lips kept ending up inches away from his shoulder. Her heart was pounding and her hands were not obeying her. Megumi fumbled with the roll, making her pause at his shoulder long than usual. Finally she got a firm grip on the muslin. She was about to continue when she felt a pair of warm, gentle, lips on her neck.

"Megumi . . ."

The lady doctor closed her eyes against the overwhelming passion that radiated from him and answered in her. Her resolve broke when she felt his arms wrap firmly around her. Megumi removed her head from his shoulder and found herself inches away from his face. In the next moment he was kissing her with fervor that she never had known.

"I . . . I can't keep it inside any longer," she heard him say in a hoarse voice, "I . . . love you . . . Megumi."

A tear slid down Megumi's cheek. That was the change. She smiled a smile bigger than anyone had ever seen on her. "And I love you, you stupid Rooster!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. But then Megumi quickly detached herself.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot!"

Sanosuke grinned. "So did I. But, it's okay, thanks to that salve the pain's already gone."

"Good." Then, Megumi gave him a mischievous smile and slowly bent down and kissed his stomach. Sano moaned with pleasure and when Megumi raised her head he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her again.

Kaoru Kamiya walked into the clinic the next morning to invite Megumi to come to come to the harbor with Kenshin, Yahiko, and her, to see the merchant ships from America come in.

"Megumi?" Kaoru walked down the corridors and glanced in the rooms until she came to Megumi's room. "Megumi? Are you in there? Megumi? I hope she's not sick . . . Megumi, I'm coming in." Kaoru slid the door open and at once wished she didn't. Megumi was indeed asleep . . . but she was not alone.

As Kaoru closed the door a relieved smile spread across her face. "Finally . . . they found each other."

The End # # # # # # # # I hoped you enjoyed it! Bye! 


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